A total of £72m is being allocated to Jewish schools, synagogues and other community centres to help them beef up security, Rishi Sunak has announced.
Rishi Sunak attending Finchley United Synagogue for victims and hostages of Hamas attacks in October. Pic: PA
The prime minister said the money would go towards providing security guards, CCTV and alarm systems at Jewish community sites in a bid to tackle record levels of antisemitism – which has risen since the 7 October Hamas attack on Israel.
Of the total, £54m is new money and will go to the Community Security Trust (CST) – a charity protecting Jewish communities in the UK – to provide security measures until 2028.
This is in addition to £18m previously allocated to the charity until 2025.
Part of that – £3m – was made available in October last year to offer additional support to more than 480 Jewish community locations, including schools and synagogues enabling nearly 200 schools and more than 250 synagogues to hire more security guards and increase protection.
A record 4,103 antisemitic incidents were reported to CST in the UK in 2023, the highest total ever in a single calendar year and an increase of 147% compared with 2022.
The figures spiked after the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict with 1,330 incidents being reported to CST in October 2023, more than the three previous highest monthly totals combined.
In a speech at the charity’s annual dinner in London, Mr Sunak condemned the record levels of antisemitism as “utterly sickening”.
He added that the rise in racist attacks meant that “the whole fabric of our nation is under threat”.
The prime minister said: “Don’t let anyone try and tell you this is just a reaction to the response of the Israeli government as unacceptable as that would be. The highest weekly total of antisemitic incidents came before Israel responded.
“It is hatred pure and simple.”
More than 40% of public think Labour still has antisemitism problem
Police ‘assessing’ hate speech complaint against Lee Anderson
Mr Sunak not only denounced the “assault on the Jewish people” but attacks on MPs, namely Conservative Mike Freer, who stepped down as a minister over fears for his personal safety.
Mr Freer represented the largely Jewish constituency of Finchley and Golders Green but faced a series of death threats and when his office was subjected to an arson attack in December, he decided to quit.
On the funding, Home Secretary James Cleverly said it would give those in the Jewish communities “certainty and confidence they will be kept safer for the foreseeable future”.
He added: “We are also working with the police to ensure that hate crime and expressions of support for the terrorist organisation Hamas are met with the full force of the law.”
This comes as the government revealed a £31m package with the aim of protecting MPs and to avoid “mob rule” amid disruptive pro-Palestine protests, which included demonstrators surrounding the home of Tory backbencher Tobias Ellwood earlier this month.
Tackling anti-Muslim hatred
A Home Office spokesperson said the government also condemned the recent rise in reported anti-Muslim hatred.
They added: “We expect the police to fully investigate all hate crimes and work with the CPS to make sure the cowards who commit these appalling offences feel the full force of the law.”
An additional £4.9m was made available in October for protective security at mosques and Muslim faith schools, bringing the total funding for 2023-24 to £29.4m, which the government confirmed will also be maintained in 2024-25.
News Related
-
Asylum seekers travel in an inflatable boat across the English Channel, bound for Dover on the south coast of England (Photo: Ben Stansall/AFP) Up to 40 Conservative MPs are poised to rebel over Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda deportation policy as they question ministers’ commitment to the scheme. A major row is ...
See Details:
Up to 40 Tory MPs ‘set to rebel’ if Sunak’s Rwanda plan doesn’t override ECHR
-
In the saltmarsh fringing where the Ballyboe River dissolves into Trawbreaga Bay, a little egret wears its plumage like a windblown stole. Our car swoops across the 10 arches of Malin bridge and we park along the village green. Malin is almost as far north as you can get on ...
See Details:
Country diary: A tale of three churches
-
Photograph: Chris Ratcliffe/EPA Hampton Court is an enduring monument to the power of Henry VIII, a pleasure palace down the Thames from Westminster and the City of London. On Monday it was the scene of power projection of a different kind, as Rishi Sunak pitched for investment from some of ...
See Details:
Sunak woos business elite with royal welcome – but they seek certainty
-
-
Tottenham interested in move to sign “fearless” £20m defender in January Tottenham Hotspur have joined the race to bring an overseas defender to the Premier League in January, according to a fresh report. Postecoglou’s centre-back options The Lilywhites currently have Micky Van De Ven, Ashley Phillips, Cristian Romero and Eric ...
See Details:
Tottenham interested in move to sign “fearless” £20m defender in January
-
A £100m campaign urging households and businesses to use less water will be funded from customers’ bills, Ofwat has said. Bill payers to stump up cost of £100m water usage campaign The regulator’s chief executive David Black told MPs that if the measures worked it would be cheaper than building ...
See Details:
Bill payers to stump up cost of £100m water usage campaign
-
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football – FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023 – Group B – Canada Training – Olympic Park, Melbourne, Australia – July 24, 2023 Canada’s Christine Sinclair during training REUTERS/Hannah Mckay/File Photo (Reuters) – BC Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, will be renamed “Christine Sinclair ...
See Details:
Soccer-Venue renamed 'Christine Sinclair Place' for Canada soccer great's final game
-
Michael van Gerwen is hunting down a fourth World Championship title (Picture: Getty Images) Michael van Gerwen is Phil Taylor’s tip to lift the World Darts Championship trophy for a fourth time in January, expecting a backlash from the recent defeat in the Players Championship Finals. The 2024 World Championship ...
See Details:
Phil Taylor makes his pick for 2024 World Darts Championship winner
-
Michael van Gerwen is hunting down a fourth World Championship title (Picture: Getty Images) Michael van Gerwen is Phil Taylor’s tip to lift the World Darts Championship trophy for a fourth time in January, expecting a backlash from the recent defeat in the Players Championship Finals. The 2024 World Championship ...
See Details:
Soccer-Howe aims to boost Newcastle's momentum in PSG clash
-
Michael van Gerwen is hunting down a fourth World Championship title (Picture: Getty Images) Michael van Gerwen is Phil Taylor’s tip to lift the World Darts Championship trophy for a fourth time in January, expecting a backlash from the recent defeat in the Players Championship Finals. The 2024 World Championship ...
See Details:
Hamilton heads for hibernation with a word of warning
-
Michael van Gerwen is hunting down a fourth World Championship title (Picture: Getty Images) Michael van Gerwen is Phil Taylor’s tip to lift the World Darts Championship trophy for a fourth time in January, expecting a backlash from the recent defeat in the Players Championship Finals. The 2024 World Championship ...
See Details:
Carolina Panthers fire head coach Frank Reich after 1-10 start to the season
-
Michael van Gerwen is hunting down a fourth World Championship title (Picture: Getty Images) Michael van Gerwen is Phil Taylor’s tip to lift the World Darts Championship trophy for a fourth time in January, expecting a backlash from the recent defeat in the Players Championship Finals. The 2024 World Championship ...
See Details:
This exercise is critical for golfers. 4 tips to doing it right
-
Michael van Gerwen is hunting down a fourth World Championship title (Picture: Getty Images) Michael van Gerwen is Phil Taylor’s tip to lift the World Darts Championship trophy for a fourth time in January, expecting a backlash from the recent defeat in the Players Championship Finals. The 2024 World Championship ...
See Details:
One in three households with children 'will struggle to afford Christmas'
-
OTHER NEWS
Kobbie Mainoo made his first start for Man Utd at Everton (Photo: Getty) The Football Association are reportedly confident that Manchester United starlet Kobbie Mainoo will choose to represent England ...
Read more »
Michael Smith will begin the defence of his world title on the opening night (Picture: Getty Images) The 2024 World Darts Championship is less than three weeks away and the ...
Read more »
For the first time a long haul commercial aircraft is flying across the Atlantic using 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). A long haul commercial flight is flying to the US ...
Read more »
The King has met business and finance leaders from across the world at a Buckingham Palace reception to mark the conclusion of the UK’s Global Investment Summit. Charles was introduced ...
Read more »
After Ohio State’s 30-24 loss to Michigan Saturday, many college football fans were wondering where Lou Holtz was. In his postgame interview after the Buckeyes beat Notre Dame 17-14 in ...
Read more »
Darius Slay wouldn’t have minded being penalized on controversial no-call No matter which team you were rooting for on Sunday, we can all agree that the officiating job performed by ...
Read more »
New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones (10) Quarterback Mac Jones remains committed to finding success with the New England Patriots even though his future is up in the air following ...
Read more »